Golden Pheasant

QING PERIOD 1644 to 1911

A MAGNIFICENT GOLDEN PHEASANT 珐琅彩 FALANGCAI SNUFF BOTTLE

An outstanding bottle of flattened spherical form.
A continuous scene brilliantly painted portraying a golden pheasant displaying its magnificent plumage, the tail feathers flowing around the side, with its accompanying mate. Perched on rockery amongst flowers and grasses. Budding and flowering yellow and pink peonies, green leafage, blue asters, yellow daisies.
All set against a magnificent azure tinged white background.

The collar comprising of a blue lappets with yellow dots, a gold necklace bordered in puce above stylised ruyi heads separated with green plantain leaves.
The foot decorated with blue and pink ruyi heads against a gold circlet.

A four character Qianlong Period Mark in cobalt blue against a white ground under.

This superb bottle is comparable in quality to those bottles produced in the Imperial Workshops of the Imperial Palace, 造 辦 處 Zaobanchu .

Formerly the property of a Japanese collector

Condition: Excellent.
No original cap.

A modern gold metal colour filigreed stopper is offered.

Refer Large Images for details, quality and condition, they also form the description.
Depending on your computer monitor / phone / etc colour may vary to actual.

Dimensions are maximum measurements

Height about: 5.5 cm
Width about: 4.5 cm
A$3,400

Similar Bottles:
Refer Arts of Asia September October 2002 page 55 Image # 3 for a nearly identical bottle.

This bottle bears many similarities in style to the Pheasant bottle sold by Christies New York 29 March 2006 Lot # 6 US$352,000

Very similar pheasant bottles are known with the birds in different positions . Palace Museum Beijing. The Bloch Collection. J & J collections.

The golden pheasant is thought to have inspired the Chinese myth of the fenghuang, a mythical bird that symbolizes beauty and virtue. Legends praise the feng huang for its abilities to judge character and to bestow blessings on the honorable and kind. Some stories claim that the bird only lands where something precious is to be found. Others tell of its ability to transform into heavenly maidens.
In Chinese culture, the golden pheasant is considered auspicious. During the Qing Dynasty, high-ranking bureaucrats wore robes with images of the golden pheasant to symbolize their authority and power.

A symbol of auspiciousness

Considered by all the major experts such as Bob C. Stevens (the Collectors Book of Snuff Bottlers 1976) and the major famous collections, such as Guo'an. Bloch. Meriem. J & J. to name a few.
The finest of all snuff bottles are those that are enamelled on copper, brass, glass, gold.
The art of enamelling was introduced to the Chinese Court in the Kangxi era 1654 to 1722, by the Jesuit Guiseppe Castiglione (Lan Shining).